Menendez: No Tears for Soleimani; Unauthorized War Alarming

Slain Iranian Gen. Qassam Soleimani was a terrorist, Sen. Bob Menendez said Tuesday, and he'll "shed no tear for him," but the main concern now is how his death will affect the national interest and security of the United States and whether it will lead to war with Iran.

"The question that two previous administrations, Republican and Democrat both faced, is (if) targeting Soleimani and taking him off the battlefield was more valuable than the consequences that flow from that decision," the New Jersey Democrat told CNN's "New Day." 

"Soleimani was a terrorist," Menendez added. "He is the cause directly and indirectly for the loss of hundreds of American troops through their surrogates and through the development of IEDs that killed Americans and soldiers in Iraq...the question isn't whether or not we weep for Soleimiani. We don't."

Menendez and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have presented a resolution calling for President Donald Trump to declassify the War Powers notification leading to the airstrike that took out Soleimani. 

"We have seen an escalation by President Trump, particularly with Iran, that is unfolding in a way that creates an alarm for many of us, that we are on the march to an unauthorized war," said Menendez. "I think the American people need to know the essence of what (the notification) says so they can make their independent judgment. The last thing we need is another 'weapons of mass destruction' moment in American history, and I haven't seen anything that ultimately indicates that killing Qassem Soleimani at this point in time stopped an imminent threat and/or made America more secure without the planning for the aftermath of this."

He added that he'll meet with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has introduced a War Powers resolution. 

"It seems to me that we need to constrain the president while making sure the language protects our troops in the region, but constrain the president from being able to act in the absence of any threat immediately to our troops in the region," said Menendez. 

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